Information on Bottle Feeding

Home >> Parenting & Families >> Bottle Feeding

Bottle Feeding

For the first: For the first year, do not feed your baby cow's milk from the-:on at the store. Cow's milk that has not been specifically modified for use in infant formulas is not digested well by human infants; it containsloads of protein that your baby's kidneys will have difficulty processing, and it contains inadequate amounts of vitamin C and iron. It also contain inadequate amounts of fat, which provides 50 percent of the caloried in human milk and formula. Furthermore, the new baby's intestine mayby cow's milk, resulting in a gradual but potentially significant. blood cells. Finally, some of the protein in cow's milk may be absorbed through the baby's intestine in a way that can lead to allergy problems

The vast majority of bottle-fed infants are given commercial formlas whose manufacturers have gone to great lengths to match mother's milk as closely as possible. The most commonly used formulas are based on cow's milk that has been significantly altered for human consumption. Among other things, the protein is made more digestible and less allergenic, lactose is added to matchthat of human milk, and butterfat is removed and replaced with a combination of other fats more readily absorbed by infants.

Soy formulas, which are based on soy protein, do not contain lactose, which is theh main carbohydrate in cow's milk. There are used for the small percentage of infants who cannot digest lactose and who develop excessive gas, cramos, and diarrhea when they consume regular formula. In addition, bottle-fed infants who have diarrhea resulting from a viral or bacterial infection may develop a temporary difficulty processing lactose. During their recovery, these babies often tolerate soy formulas better than cow's milk formulas. Infants from families with a strong history of cow's milk allergy have trraditionally been started on soy formulas as a precautionary measure, but many of these may be allergic to soy formula as well.

There is a variety of formulas that have been designed for special needs. Infants who are allergic to both cow's milk and soy formulas may use what are called protein hydrolysate formulas, in which the proteins ae essentially prodigested. Special formulas are also available for babies phenylkeyonuria (PKU) and for premature infants.

Check with your baby's physician regarding the type(s) of formula he or she recommends. Once you have made your choice, you can stock up with one or more of the three forms in which they are normally sold:

• Ready-to-feed is just that. Put it into a bottle if it isn't laready package in one, make sure the temperature is right, and you're all set. While extremelt convenient, this format is also the most expensive.

Concentrate must be mixed with water in the exact amount recimmended by the manufacturer. If it is too diluted (mixed with too much water), your baby will be shortchanged on nutrients. But if it is too concentrated (mixed with too little water), diarrhea and dehydration may result. The unused portion of an opened can of concentrate may be sealed and stored in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours, after which it should be discarded.

• Powdered formula is the least expensive form and must be mixed exactly as recommended, using the measuring scoop provided.

If you cannot afford formula and do not have access to community resources, it is possible to mix your own using evaporated (not condensed) milk, corn syrup, and sterile water, specific combination of ingredients as well as additional vitamin supplementation.

You can prepare a day's worth of bottles at one time, storing the ones you strong the ones immediately you don't need in the refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours. The good news for today's bottle-feeding parents is that the laborious process of boiling sterilizing bottles, which consumed a great deal of time and energy in :ionary mea- lergic togenerations, is (with a few exceptions) usually not necessary to prepare fornmr-i2 safely toda-y. However, these basic precautions will prevent your baby's formula from being contaminated by potentially harmful bacteria:

• Wash your hands before you begin handling formula, water, bottles, and nipples.

• If the formula you are using comes from a can, wipe the top before youTen it. Use a separate can opener specifically designated for thisLrpose, and clean it on a regular basis.

• Unless there has been a recent flood, earthquake, outbreak of bacterial section, or other local calamity, tap water is usually safe to use in -• :King formula. (Check with your baby's doctor for a recommendation-.carding whether your water should be boiled first.) Running the cold-_:er tap for a minute or two will decrease the amount of lead or other_purities that might have collected within the pipes. Well water should_ checked for bacterial contamination or excessive mineral content and always be boiled before you use it. Tf you have any doubts or .terns, use bottled water.

• After each use, bottles and nipple assemblies can he washed in the dish--her or by hand with hot, soapy water, using a bottle brush to cleaninside thoroughly. Follow with a good rinse.

It's not necessary to warm a bottle, although younger babies prefer tepid or tydrationmperature formula. To warm a bottle you've stored in the refrigerator, let it sit for a few minutes in hot water. Warming the bottle in a microwave is not recommended because uneven heating may cause pockets of milk hot enough to scald a baby's mouth. Before feeding, shake the bottle well and let a on your hand. D should be barely warm and definitely not hot. A:,flow rate from the nipple. An ideal flow is about one drop per second when the bottle is held upside down. If the nipple allows milk to flow too quickly, your baby may choke on it. If it flows too slowly, he may swallow air whilesuck out his meal.

You can use four- or eight-ounce made from plastic or glass. (Later on, hc - when he can hold his own bottle, glassshould be replaced with plastic.) Manyprefer the nurser style in which form:poured into a plastic bag that attaches to atic shell and nipple assembly. Babies ter::swallow less air from the bags, but they .more in the long run. It is important not tcthe bags to mix concentrate or powder bee_..you cannot measure accurately with them.

As with breast feeding, bottle feeding shouLbe relaxed and unhurried, preferably in a con-fortable and quiet area of your home. Hold var..baby across your lap with his upper body sliglmrraised and his head supported. A flat posi:during feedings not only increases the riskchoking but also allows milk to flow into passageways, called eustachian tubes, that 1..-14:into the middle ears. Frequent ear infectim may result. Stroke the nipple across his cheek _-lower lip to start the rooting reflex, and be sure to keep the bottle elevat._enough so the milk completely covers the inside of the nipple. Otherwise, hestart sucking air.

The fact that milk is flowing from a bottle does not mean that the feesfr_should switch to autopilot. Take time to lock eyes with your infant, talk orsoftly to him, gently caress him, and pray about this new life with which \-been entrusted. Your baby should not be left unattended with a bottle prc-i in his mouth. This practice puts your baby at an unnecessary risk for ear infections or choking.

When (if ever) should the baby's formula be changed?

Most doctors will recommend that bottle-fed infants begin with an iron-fortified cow's milk formula, and if doing well with it, use it through the first year of life.Oran is not absorbed as efficiently from formula as from breast milk, and the.amount added to iron-fortified formula ensures that your baby will get what heimeeds.) Like their breast-fed counterparts, babies in this age-group do not needether vitamin supplementation.

One of the headaches that most bottle-feeding parents eventually face is fig-wing out whether irritability, especially if accompanied by gas or loose stools,i=ns that baby and formula are not getting along. There are no clear-cut an-ers to this dilemma. If you think your baby might be having a problem with the current formula,-uss it with his physician. It may be appropriate to try another brand, or even Brent form of the same brand, and observe the results. Sometimes persistent irritability, and poor sleep at night—definitely one of the most disturb-situations for new parents—will provoke a switch to soy-based formula. If itto help, stay with it. Beware of making changes too quickly or attributingone of your baby's problems to his current formula, because you won't besat to sort out cause and effect, and you may overlook some other cause of hisaszomfort. Occasionally there may be such frustration and expense associated finding a tolerated formula, that relactation may be considered. A lactationmcsultant can assist even if several weeks without nursing have passed

Other Parenting Artcles:

Home :: Contact Us :: About Us :: Privacy Policy :: Terms of Use :: Site Map